Kuster wants weapons: Annie will get your guns

May 31. 2014 8:13PMU.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, Democrat of New Hampshire's 2nd District, wants to ban some guns, possibly including handguns. She doesn't know which guns, or how they might differ from the guns she doesn't want to ban, but by golly she knows they should be banned.

On Thursday Kuster's office issued a press release in which she said this: "In the wake of the horrific shooting that took place near UC Santa Barbara's campus, we must reopen our conversation about what we can do to keep our schools and our communities safe." Describing herself as "a firm believer in our nation's Second Amendment rights," she said we need a new approach that, among other things, "rids our streets of military assault weapons."

Hmmmm. Automatic weapons are already illegal in the United States, with exceptions for some grandfathered items, so we asked Kuster's office what she meant by "military assault weapons." The task of answering that question fell to Rosie Hilmer, Kuster's spokesperson, poor thing.

She wrote that Kuster "believes lawmakers need to reexamine the expired assault weapons ban and... identify which military-style weapons don't belong on our streets," she wrote.

Suddenly it was "military-style assault weapons." We asked what that meant. Refusing to define the term, Hilmer wrote that Kuster "believes we must draw a line between military-style assault weapons and civilian weapons used for hunting, sport shooting, and personal protection." So Kuster has no idea what types of guns she wants to ban; she just knows some guns have to go.

Kuster said the Isla Vista shooting made clear the need to ban some guns. But that shooter used three handguns: a Glock 34 and two Sig Sauer P226s. The Sig Sauer P226 was designed for the military and is used by the Navy Seals. Maybe that is what she meant by "military-style assault weapon." We asked Hilmer if Kuster wanted to ban or further regulate either of those handgun models.

"She has not endorsed a specific legislative definition of 'assault weapon,'" was the answer. So she is open to banning handguns.

That is a stunning position for someone who proclaims herself a supporter of the Second Amendment - and who represents New Hampshire, which is not only a strongly pro-gun state, but which is home to Sig Sauer's U.S. headquarters.

Gun owners, make no mistake, if Annie Kuster remains in Congress, she is going after your guns.